BeatleLinks Fab Forum

The house lights go down. The sound of the sixties thunders through the theater as the big screen glows in a psychedlic rainbow of color. There, larger than the Hulk, more powerful than Superman, with all the magic and mystery of the Real Thing, are Mitch, Ralph, Dave and Tom -- the Fab Four...(?)

Beatlemania The Movie recently opened at theaters everywhere. Like the stage play that preceded it, the movie is an overview of the sixties: the era, the action, the music and most of all, the Beatles. It combines over "4,000 visual images with nearly 30 of the most renowned Lennon-McCartney compositions to portray the evolution of a generation." Performed by the four actor-musicians (Mitch Weissman, Ralph Castelli, David Leon and Tom Teeley), the songs span the entire musical and cultural spectrum which those famous Moptops immortalized.

Although both productions have drawn fire from the press as a "ripoff," the producers as well as the stars immediately counter that the show has played to packed houses around the world for the past three years and has grossed $35 million.

The film goes a step beyond the play by adding the hit tune, "Please, Please Me," to its score and an outdoor scene with Paul/Mitch. Also, zooms, closeups and special effects not possible for the stage productions are used for maximum intimacy.

Why a film? Producer Ely Landau, who has also made King (about Martin Luther King, Jr.) and The Greek Tycoon, says, "It is a phenomenon when you see 3,000 kids in Hartford, Connecticut, knowing the first note of each song and giving standing ovations to four very talented kids at the end of each song, knowing they are not the Beatles but truly an incredible simulation. It is something that Edi (his wife and co-producer) and I feel should be brought to a wider audience than just that of the live theater."

"It is a show that we felt should be recorded for posterity," Edie adds. "And that's just what the film does."

For Mitch Weissman, who plays Paul McCartney in the film as he did on Broadway and in several road companies (seeing South America and Japan en route), the last five years of his life began with a whim at the prodding of friends. At the time, he never expected his career would take this turn, or that such an opportunity would be presented to him. Mitch took a break from his job as a graphic artist in a New York advertising agency and his "real" work in the studio where he was laying down tracks for a demo tape of his own songs, when he auditioned for the part of Paul. The rest is history.

For the last five years, he has played the 'good-looking one' of the Fab Four. The Beatlemania role did put the Long Island resident's own musical aspirations on hold, but Mitch has no regrets. Through the project he has made important contacts and gained valuable experience, both he says, applicable to his future as a singer/songwriter.

"Beatlemania was the best musical training I could ask for," he continues in his press agent's busy, cluttered office. "It was like singing lessons every day. The songs became my scales. For discipline, repeating the same songs, the same show every night, was great."

Mitch, like so many other aspiring musicians and actors, is well aware of the problems he faced when trying to enter the business. He struggled and now sees the Beatlemania part as his "lucky break."

"This show," he says, "definitely made people aware that I exist. It's not too easy singing the same songs, catching the inflections, speech patterns, a person's movements, antics, reactions. I researched and reviewed Beatle movies, interview records, videotapes, everything I could get, to get Paul's personality down. It's just as rough as doing the bar band routine. I did that too. But I feel privileged and honored to be in Beatlemania."

Now that the filming is over and he is no longer playing Paul seven nights a week, Mitch spends most of his time at home with his wife and cats and in the studio, recording his songs. That long awaited tape may see daylight yet. Also he has begun showcasing his group, the Mitch Weissman Band (natch), at Trax, a Manhattan rock club popular with record industry types. His flyers note, "You saw him as someone else, now see him as himself."

"Now I want to go into music, my music, and I'd like to do more acting," he says. My songs have a slightly heavier edge than the Beatles. A more Eagles, Raspberries, Cream sound, but of course, there is the Beatles influence there. That's why this role was such a privilege."

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Ryan: What's wrong with you people? 25 million dollars, is that the best you can do?
Colin: That will barely cover the hair gel for the cast of friends.

-"Whose Line Is It Anyway"?